Lifetime of Friendships
by smilestoyou
Summary: AU/OC. Regulus and Emily have been best friends since they've met in Dueling Club their third-year. Now, war is approaching, straining their friendship as Regulus follows his parents' wishes to join the Death Eaters while Emily fights for her survival as a Muggle-born. Faced with a hard choice, the two must figure out where they belong and if their friendship can last forever.
1. Chapter 1

**Lifetime of Friendships**

Chapter 1

* * *

Sirius Black ran his fingers through his hair once more. Emily couldn't believe her luck when she was assigned the seat behind him. He had given her a smile before wishing her luck on the exam. Her eyes widen, seeing the handsome Gryffindor leaning back in his chair. She quickly began to look over her answers once, pretending that she wasn't staring Sirius, who was sitting in front of her. Professor Flitwick called the time and had them all stop writing with their quills on the desk. Emily watched her parchment roll up and zoom to Professor Flitwick, who was promptly knocked over from the numerous scrolls flying at him at once. She, along with many others of her peers, chuckled at the sight while a few helpful students pulled Flitwick back up to his feet. With a squeaky voice, Flitwick dismissed them.

"Emily!"

She whirled around, her bag swinging dangerously around her as she rose from her seat. She looked over to her fellow Hufflepuff next to her. Emily felt her face burning, seeing the mischievous smile on her friend's face, glancing in the same direction to see Sirius Black laughing along with James Potter. She ducked her head, adjusting the strap of her bag as she muttered, "Shut up, Adeline."

"I didn't say anything." Adeline tossed her wavy blonde hair over her shoulder, flashing another smile at her friend. Emily gently bumped their shoulders together, the two walking out of the Great Hall. Many fifth-years took advantage of their time, soaking up the warm sunlight. Their written exam was over and many were taking a quick break before resuming their strenuous studies for their practical exam after lunch.

"It's such a nice day," Emily sighed, looking up at the bright clear sky. "Let's go to the lake, Adeline. The others will probably be there too."

"Great, more people can hear how badly I performed on the exam," Adeline groaned, her shoulders slumping as she tossed her head back.

"I'm sure you did fine, Adeline," Emily tried to reassure her friend, giving her a smile.

"I sat next to Snape. He wrote a foot and half more that I did—and his writing is tiny," Adeline complained. She let out a dramatic sigh, laying down at the edge of the lake, using her bag as a pillow. Emily sat down next to her, taking off her socks and shoes to dip her feet into the cool water.

"There you are."

Marlene McKinnon dropped her bag next to Adeline, taking the empty space between Emily and Adeline. She, too, dipped her bare feet into the lake, letting out a sigh of relief. "Oh, this is nice."

"You should be careful," Lily Evans warned as she sat on the other side of Adeline. "The giant squid might just pull you two into the lake."

Marlene scoffed. "Please, the giant squid doesn't care about a couple pairs of feet dipped into the lake. As if it had nothing better to do."

"It might think that it's snacks," Adeline told them, her arm still thrown over her eyes. "A couple of first-years were feeding it last weekend."

Emily quickly pulled her feet out, eyes wide. "You're joking, right?"

"Of course she is," Marlene replied, rolling her eyes. "When was the last time you heard that the giant squid attacked a student? It's Godric Gryffindor, after all."

The other three let out a snort at the infamous rumor about the giant squid being Gryffindor's animagus form.

"Speaking of Gryffindor," Adeline called out, rolling over to waggle her brows at Emily.

"Don't you dare—"

"Well, you were staring at him a lot today. Was it because he was leaning back in chair? I never knew your face could turn that shade of red, Emily. I mean, he was practically inches away from you."

"Who?"

Emily bit her lip, seeing Lily and Marlene looking at her expectantly. Her eyes darted away to avoid their gazes, but the heat of their stares bore into her. She shifted, closing her eyes shut before she whispered quickly, "Siriusblack."

"What?"

"Emily!"

"It's not like I meant for this to happen," she defended herself with hands raised in front of her. She gave a helpless shrug along with an apologetic smile. "It just happened, you know?"

"I thought you still liked Remus!"

"No," Lily corrected Marlene. "She stopped liking Remus before the winter holidays. Right before Easter, she began to like Mark Davies. But apparently, she has moved onto Sirius Black."

"When did this happen?" Marlene demanded, folding her arms.

"I don't know," Emily reluctantly admitted. "Maybe it was during Transfiguration when he was helping me with the Vanishing Spell or when he was standing up to the seventh-year Slytherins bullying the first-year Hufflepuff."

"But isn't he a bully as well?" Adeline frowned. "He and Potter always tend to pick on Snape and other Slytherins too."

"Not everyone is perfect," Emily quickly defended.

Marlene laughed, patting Emily on the shoulder. "Oh, you've got it bad, Emily."

"I know," she moaned, resting her head on Marlene's shoulders. She closed her eyes, feeling the reassuring pat on her head.

"Well," Adeline sighed, pushing herself up into a sitting position. "At least it's not as bad when Emily liked Isaac and—"

She let out a shriek, seeing Emily lunge toward her. Adeline quickly rolled away, laughing as Emily shouted after her, "You said that you wouldn't talk about that anymore!"

With Adeline out of reach, Emily sat back down next to Marlene again. She caught sight of a group of boys sitting underneath a beech tree. Too easily, she recognized Remus Lupin, bent over his Transfiguration book, intent on continuing his studies. Her eyes lit up at the sight of Sirius sitting next to him, looking haughty and bored but handsome as ever. Spotting him glance in her direction, she quickly looked away, tucking a lock of hair behind her ears. Her gaze flickered over in his direction a few more times, realizing after a moment that the bright glint in the air was a golden snitch. Not to her surprise, James Potter was releasing and catching it with ease, glancing over in Lily's direction to see if she was watching him.

"He's staring over here," Emily spoke, hiding a yawn behind her hand.

"Who?" Lily asked, leaning over Marlene.

"Who else?" Adeline replied, laying her head in Emily's lap. She scowled up at Emily, whose fingers caught a snag in her hair. "That hurt."

Lily let out a groan, resting her head on Marlene's shoulder. "Maybe if you two weren't so loud—"

"Emily was going to attack me!" Adeline defended herself. "Of course I was going to scream. Don't you know her rank in the Dueling Club? She's one of the top members!"

"Maybe you shouldn't have talked about my former crushes." Emily childishly stuck out her tongue at her friend. "Besides, I'm not a top member of the club, but Regulus is."

"Regulus?" Adeline asked, her eyes lighting up at the sound of his name. She and Emily often laughed about their crushes being identical twins. Although he and Sirius shared the same handsome features, Regulus liked to keep a proper appearance, his long hair often tied back with a ribbon and his uniform crisp and clean with his tie fastened around his collar. Placed side by side, it wasn't difficult to know which twin was which.

"See, you make fun of me whenever I see my crush, but you..." Emily trailed off, giving her best friend a pout as she finished braiding Adeline's hair.

She let out a laugh. "But Emily, you have so many former crushes while I only have two."

"I know," Emily chuckled, shaking her head. "You're too picky while I just fall in love too fast and I fall out of love just as quickly."

"Who else have you liked?"

"You're asking the wrong question, Marlene," Adeline grinned, arching her neck so that she was staring at Marlene upside down. "The question you should be asking is, who hasn't she liked?"

Emily let out a groan, pushing Adeline off her lap and moving to sit next to Lily while the other two giggled about her former crushes. "You won't be as mean as them, will you, Lily?"

"Of course not," Lily replied, giving Emily a sympathetic smile. "I wouldn't be that mean if you tell me who your former crushes were. I want to know too."

She gave Lily a good-natured shove, shaking her head at her three friends who had dissolved into giggles. Emily rolled her eyes, wondering why her friends were so mean when a flash of light caught her attention. She turned her head sharply, eyes widening as she saw another spell had the Slytherin falling over.

"Lily."

Lily immediately turned around and in a flash, she was on her feet, marching to save her best friend. The other three watched as Lily attempted to save Severus, only for him to throw a slur into her face. Emily gasped, her hand clamping over her mouth as Marlene let out a few well-chosen swears. Immediately, she was on her feet, her wand grasped tightly in her hand.

"I'm going to—"

"Snape is Lily's friend," Adeline told her, gesturing to Lily with a nod of her head. They watched as Lily coolly turned away from Severus. "She can handle this."

Emily watched as Lily walked away, head held high. With a glance at the other two, they all grabbed their bags (Marlene carrying Lily's), heading to comfort their friend. Lily sat in the middle between Adeline and Marlene, wiping the tears from her cheeks. What could they say to her? Her best friend had just insulted her in front of everyone.

* * *

They all went to dinner together, huddling around the Hufflepuff table as Adeline and Emily took control of the conversation, debating on wizard and Muggle contraptions and which were better. Marlene quickly took Adeline's side while Lily defended Emily.

"But the pen already has a built-in ink bottle inside of it so we don't have to carry an ink bottle around."

"Yes, but do you have Sugar Quills that you can suck on in class without the Professors knowing?" Marlene demanded.

"No, but we've got bubblegum in our lollipops so we win!" Emily shouted, slamming her fork on the table. Against the loud chattering in the Great Hall, no one paid attention to them.

"Ah, but does your bubblegum last more than an hour?" Adeline asked, raising her brows at the two muggle-borns, giving them both an expectant look.

"Do you have a container that keeps your drinks hot?" Lily shot back.

The four argued back and forth, even as they were walking out of the Great Hall. Adeline, seeing Lily's expression, stopped in mid-argument and reached out to clasp her hand.

"You know you can always stay with us in the Hufflepuff Common Room if you don't feel comfortable, Lily," Adeline told her quietly. "Marlene will join too."

"We have these alcoves and—"

"Thanks, but I'll be fine," Lily told them with a soft smile. She gave both Emily and Adeline a warm hug before she'd headed off to the Gryffindor Tower with Marlene. The two watched them leave before they continued their trek down the corridor, past the kitchens to the Hufflepuff Common Room.

"Are you heading to the library?" Adeline asked as she and Emily both dropped off their bags next to their beds.

"Actually, I have Dueling practice," Emily explained, tossing her robe onto her bed. She began pulling out a black notebook from her stand before rummaging through her bag for a self-inked quill she had been carrying around earlier.

"Oh. I'll see you back in the Common Room later then. I think I'll start studying for Divinations," Adeline told her, walking out of the dormitory.

Emily made her way to the seventh floor, her notebook tucked underneath her hand. Spotting the club door already opened, Emily peeked inside to find Isaac Westwick already there. The sixth-year Slytherin looked up from his book, giving her a nod.

"Knew you would already be here," Emily greeted the Captain of the Dueling Club.

"I'm surprised that you weren't first," he replied with a smirk, closing his book. "Slacking off, Emily?"

"I remember you slacking off when you had OWL exams last year," she shot back.

"Yes, but I also won the Captain's position as well," Isaac pointed out to her. He narrowed his eyes at her. "Should I be worried for my position?"

Emily scoffed. "Please, I'm not ready for that kind of responsibility yet, Isaac. I can barely manage myself from the stress of exams. I don't think I can handle being Dueling Club Captain and NEWTS."

Isaac raised his brows at her. "You're not even going to try to jostle me from my position? I thought that you would want my position since you're now a fifth-year and are able to participate in duels. You're not even going to take a shot?"

"I've participated in my fair share of duels this year already, Isaac," she told him. "And I still need to practice a lot more if I want to challenge others for your title."

"How do you know if you've improved if you don't duel at all, Emily?" He folded his arms, hands tucked in his sleeves. "Besides, if you're going to take my title, you should at least know what you're going up against, right?"

Her eyes narrowed, seeing the look Isaac gave her. "Don't even think about it—"

He barely gave her time to react, sending a stream of light shooting straight toward her. Emily ducked, her wand dropping from her sleeve and into her hand. She raised her wand at him.

"Protego!" She shouted, casting a powerful Shield Charm that nearly knocked Isaac off his feet.

"Impressive," he complimented. "Your Shield Charm has definitely improved, but you still use defensive spells. That's not going to work on me."

He began his relentless attack, sending one spell after another, the sheer force of the spells knocking Emily back. She let out a grunt, hitting against the wall, her Shield Charm disappearing due to her broken concentration. She fired off a Stunner, but with a flick of his wand, Isaac easily blocked it with his own Shield Charm. He waited patiently, waiting for Emily to regain her composure. Ever the gentleman like he was raised to be, Isaac didn't dare to attack a helpless female. But Emily also knew the other reason why he didn't attack was to show her that he had the upper hand and if he wanted to, he could've ended the duel.

"Trapped like a corner animal, you can only attack," Isaac told her with a triumphant smile, seeing that Emily was finally ready. A snake emerged from his wand, mouth opened wide.

"Speculo!"

The Mirror Charm reflected his attack, the snake bouncing off the charm and charging at its wielder instead. Isaac ducked just in time, the snake crashing into the wall behind him, turning into a cloud of black smoke upon impact.

"Are you two finished?"

They looked over to see a fifth-year Gryffindor standing there, a stern look crossing his face. Ethan Lee wasn't too happy to see his twin and Isaac dueling each other once more. The last time they had dueled unsupervised, a large chunk of wall had been reduced to dust.

"What will the others think, seeing you two recklessly duel each other?" Ethan reprimanded them, both avoiding eye contact with him. He let out a sigh, directing his gaze at the older male. "Merlin, how did you become the Captain of the Dueling Club?"

"With the help of a ruthless tactician," Isaac answered, his eyes sliding over to Emily. The two shared a grin with each other and Isaac held out a hand to Emily for a quick high-five. She slapped his hand before they bumped fists together.

"There was no rules that said that I couldn't help him plan out his attacks," Emily defended, seeing the pointed look her twin gave her.

"Are you sure you're not supposed be in Slytherin?" Isaac asked her. "You certainly have some of the traits within you. Cunning, ambitious, certain disregard of the rules…"

"No, I'm Hufflepuff," She replied. "Although I think I might be hanging around Slytherins for too long now."

"Ah, so we're a bad influence?"

"Speak for yourself," Regulus Black scoffed, entering the room. "It's something Emily needs to have for survival."

Emily was about retort back to Regulus about survival when a group of third-year Hufflepuffs entered the room, chattering loudly. They stopped, seeing the older group looking over at them. But a simple wave and smile from Emily placed them at ease. The other members slowly trickled into the room, sitting on the cushioned benches, waiting for the announcements. Emily saw Ethan sitting in their unofficial seats and sat next to him.

"Hi," she greeted her twin, nudging his shoulder with hers. She blinked, seeing his frown. "You alright?"

"Are you?" He asked her. "You're the one who suddenly decided to take on the Dueling Captain!"

"Ethan—"

"Why didn't you kick his arse?" Her twin hissed. "You had a chance and could've taken his spot!"

Emily looked at her twin as if he had grown a second head. "Probably because no one would believe me and also I'm not ready to take him on."

"That is true," Ethan nodded. "Isaac would easily defeat you in less than a minute."

"I knew I can always count on you for moral support," Emily replied, giving him with a flat look.

"Well, he does have a point," Regulus joined in, sitting behind the twins. "You lost to me in less than forty-five seconds."

"That was in our first year!" She protested. "I've improved since then!"

"Yes, but I'm still beating you, though."

She rolled her eyes. "Don't worry, Regulus. I've noticed."

Ethan and Regulus shared a laugh before Isaac moved to stand in front of the benches. Everyone fell silent, conversations abruptly ending as they all turned to face the Captain.

"As you know, we will be having mock duels for the younger members in a couple of weeks. Anyone who is under fifth-year is welcome to participate but remember, you will have to sign up for the competition. So, in order to prepare the younger students, we will be having practice for fourth-years and lower—"

Excited whispers broke out, the younger students turning to each other with a bright look on their faces. Isaac held up a hand and silence fell again, everyone watching him expectantly as he continued on. "The older students, fifth-years and above, will help me supervise. I ask you all to provide constructive criticism only. There's no need to put down our fellow members. Anyone who doesn't heed to my orders will be promptly kicked out of the club _permanently_. Do not begin until I say so, understood?"

He had the younger students separated into their respective years before dividing them up into pairs. The older students began walking around, making sure that there was enough room between each dueling pair, correcting their positions while they all waited for Isaac.

"Wands at the ready!"

The younger students held their wands in front of their faces, bowing politely to their opponents. Isaac glanced around, his eyes sweeping the room for any mischief.

"Begin!"

* * *

A/N: So in this particular story, Sirius and Regulus are identical twins. I think it makes a more interesting dynamic as Regulus is the golden child and Sirius is the black sheep of the family.


	2. Chapter 2

**Lifetime of Friendships**

Chapter 2

* * *

"Quills down!"

The exams flew from the desks, all falling into neat stacks with a flick of McGongall's wand. Her sharp eyes scanned across the room, many fidgeting under her sharp gaze. With a curt dismissal, the students quickly grabbed their bags and raced out of the classroom, intent on putting as much distance between them and their Arithmancy exams. One of them, however, simply walked against the crowd, which parted ways for him. Regulus watched as Emily placed her belongings into her bag, one by one.

"Are you just going to stay here until dinner?" He asked, walking over to her desk, arms folding over his chest.

"I like to be organized, all right?" She snapped back at him, closing her bag shut before hoisting it over her shoulder.

"Next time, you should bring only the necessary items," He advised as they walked out to the corridor.

Emily replied by sticking out her tongue at him.

Regulus threw her a frown. "That's very mature, Emily."

"How did you do on the exam?" She asked, ignoring his comment. "I think I messed up on the third question. You know, where we had to decipher the name? What did you get for that?"

"Seven."

Emily threw back her head and let out a groan. Her head then dropped forward, her shoulders slumped as she told Regulus, "I got eight. I don't know if I can take another week of this. This weekend is just going to be everyone holing up in the library to study and they're going to take all the good spots!"

"You better get there early."

"The library is practically on the other side of the castle!" She whined, dragging her feet. "I hate OWLs."

"I've heard NEWTs are worse."

She slapped a hand to her face. "I think I'll just spend the whole weekend crying instead."

"You won't be the only one so you can take comfort in that," Regulus told her with a shrug of his shoulders.

"Thank you, Regulus."

He scoffed, turning to face her. "I'm not going to give you encouragement if you're not going to even try, Emily. You can both whine and complain about OWLs the entire weekend, or you can study every moment you're awake. I'm not going to try to help someone who's already given up. It would be a waste of my time."

She blinked twice at him before her lips slowly curved into a smile. "And you said that you're not good with speeches."

"Sometimes, I wonder if you're as empty-headed as you look," He sighed, turning away to leave his gaping friend behind.

Emily quickly closed her mouth, catching up to Regulus with a few, furious strides. "Did you just—"

"It seems that you're also losing not just your mind but your hearing as well," Regulus noted, glancing over at her, flashing a grin. "Should I be worried that this disease is contagious?"

She smacked his shoulder. "Shut up, Regulus! You keep this up and a rumor is going to start about me."

"You know, there is a rumor going around—"

"There's always a rumor." Emily rolled her eyes, flipping her hair over her shoulder. "I thought you don't listen to rumors, since you said that 'it is beneath a Black heir to listen to such gossip full of lies and slander.'"

She waggled her brows, seeing Regulus' unamused expression at hearing her impersonation of his posh accent.

"I don't, but this one was about you," Regulus told her. Her brows furrowed together, trying to remember if she had angered anyone recently, enough for them to spread a rumor about her. "Please tell me that you don't fancy my twin."

All color seemed to drain from Emily's face, blood pounding in her ears. Her eyes darted side to side, looking for any eavesdroppers. Her hands curled around her sleeves. It was impossible, no one could've known.

"W-Wh-Where did you hear that?" she asked him, clearing her throat.

"Is it true?"

"Of-of course not!"

"Merlin and Agrippa, why? You could've gone for anyone, Emily, and you went for him?"

"I don't like him!"

"Don't lie. It makes you look stupider when you do," Regulus snapped at her. He pointed a finger at her. "I hate it when you lie to me."

"Well, no one was supposed to know!" Noticing that they were gathering stares, Emily lowered her voice. "I—I only told three people about that, Regulus."

She turned away, wanting to find out who betrayed her confidence. No, she wanted to go hide now that the whole school knew her secret now. No, she wanted to cry. But before she could make up her mind, a hand grasped her wrist. Regulus' hold was soft, allowing her to break free if she wanted but his eyes told a different story. They were full of storm and ice, ready to take on anyone who dared to defy him. Emily unconsciously took a step back from the intensity.

"Who did you tell?"

* * *

Regulus walked onto the Quidditch stadium, watching the seven scarlet blurs that zoomed past him, soaring high into the air. There was a whistling sound before a bludger slammed into the ground a few feet away from him. Regulus looked at the indentation as the bludger flew off, before looking up at the beater with a haughty expression.

"Your aim needs work, Sirius."

Sirius grinned, smoothly landing right in front of his twin.

"Black!"

"Yes?" The twins both answered, turning to the Quidditch Captain zooming toward them. The seventh-year narrowed her eyes at the Slytherin seeker, dismounting from her broom with a jump.

"What are you doing here?" She demanded, glaring at the Slytherin. "Spying on us?"

"Only if Slytherin ever needs a strategy for losing, Wood," Regulus replied coolly, watching her face turn red. "If I recall correctly, Gryffindor lost because of three missed penalty shots all thrown by you."

"Why you—"

"What's going on?" Ethan asked, landing next to Sirius, resting the bat on his shoulder. His gaze flickered from his Quidditch Captain to Regulus, back to his Captain. Upon seeing her stony expression, he slowly backed away, not wanting to get caught in the cross-fire.

"Is practice over?" Fabian asked, a hopeful expression crossing his face. His cheeks were flushed, matching the same shade of red as his hair.

Natalie nodded, still glaring at Regulus. "Yes. I'm not going to let the team practice with this spy here."

"I didn't come here just to insult you and your team," Regulus told her flippantly, not realizing that Natalie Wood had curled her hands into fists.

But Ethan had seen it. He quickly stepped in, asking Natalie about the possibility of rescheduling their practice. He wasn't a huge fan of Regulus, knowing about the other boy's prejudice against Muggle-borns, but Regulus was a good friend to Emily and that was all that really mattered to him.

"What are you doing here?" Sirius asked his brother, arms folded over his chest. "Are you planning on joining Gryffindor?"

"Why would I want to join a losing team when Slytherin has won the Quidditch Cup?" Regulus replied, raising a brow at Sirius.

Sirius frowned for a moment before the two shared a smile. He clapped a hand on Regulus' shoulder. "Everything's alright? You don't usually come over during Quidditch practice…"

"That's because I'm not here for you," Regulus answered. His eyes flickered to the Gryffindor Seeker to his right. "McKinnon, a word please."

Marlene opened her mouth, but before she could say anything, she was pushed behind James and Sirius. She stumbled back, nearly tripping over her broom before she managed to regain her balance. She pursed her lips, her eyes narrowing at the two big-headed idiots blocking her way. Grabbing the Quaffle by her feet, she took aim. The Quaffle slammed into Sirius' head. With a bit of luck and a little help from Marlene, the Quaffle turned to hit James as well.

"Ow!"

"Marlene!"

"Why is it that when Regulus is talking to Natalie, you two are not tripping over your feet to protect her?" Marlene demanded, hands on her hips. "I can protect myself without your help."

"Now, Marlene—"

James quickly fell silent, seeing the furious look in her eyes. Sirius, on the other hand, ignored the warning signs as he stepped forward to placate her. Flashing a handsome smile, he told her in a soft and soothing voice, as if he was speaking to a child. "Marlene, he's a Slytherin and my twin. Therefore, I know how he thinks. He's going to get you alone before attacking you because you're one of our best players. I'm just looking out for the well-being of my teammate."

"Slytherin already won the Quidditch Final!" Marlene shouted, a sharp gust of wind lasting out from her. "Perhaps this is a difficult concept for you to grasp, Sirius, but maybe whatever your twin wants to talk to me about, doesn't have anything to do with Quidditch!"

She turned to Regulus, jerking her head to an open spot on the Quidditch field. The two of them watched James and Sirius slowly head back to the locker room, waiting a few more moments after they left for good measure. With a sigh, Marlene turned to Regulus. She couldn't help but bristle at the sight of him but he was a friend of Emily. A spark of anger coursed through her. Snape had been Lily's best friend since the beginning of their Hogwarts journey and he threw the slur at her face...

"Well?"

"Did Emily tell you who she liked?"

Marlene blinked twice, taken off-guard by the question.

"Well?" Regulus asked, throwing her question back at her. "What's the matter, McKinnon?"

Marlene's mouth opened and closed before she managed to find her voice. "I thought-I thought that you wanted to talk about the Dueling Club."

"If I wanted to talk about the Dueling Club, don't you think that Lee and Prewett would here too?" Regulus raised his brow. It was no wonder she didn't see the Golden Snitch flying above her during the final match. He folded his arms, staring her down as he demanded, "Now, answer the question, McKinnon."

"No," Marlene growled, standing her ground. "I don't care you're one of Emily's best friends, I'm not going to tell you anything!"

"I see." He blinked, giving her a small nod. "Well, I know that it isn't me."

Marlene scoffed. "Yeah, well, why would Emily go for you? You're rude, condescending, and mean. There's no way she would date you."

"Believe me, I know, McKinnon. Dating her would be like dating me, except that I would have to spend more money on dates and buy useless sentimental things that will eventually be thrown away."

He watched as the Gryffindor Seeker narrowed her eyes at him, clearly taken offense on Emily's behalf.

"First off, fuck you for saying that," Marlene told him. She took step toward him, poking him in the chest. "Secondly, Emily is nothing like you. She cares about others who aren't even her friends—"

"Not important people," Regulus commented with a wave of his hand.

"She isn't rude like you, nor is she prejudiced against others due to their blood-status!"

"That is because she doesn't understand our world's complex society. After all, she's a Muggle-born, McKinnon. You know very well that an outsider would never understand our upbringing as one of the Sacred Twenty-Eight."

Marlene glared at him, but said nothing, knowing that he spoke the truth. Regulus looked away for a moment, taking a deep breath. "Can I ask you for a favor?"

She blinked twice, not sure if she had heard him correctly. He watched her patiently for a moment before she nodded. It wasn't every day that Regulus Black asked for something. As the heir of the House of Black, he was taught to be independent since the day he could walk. He was never really the first to be picked during partnered assignments.

"What is it?"

"Can you keep an eye on Emily? I don't want her—"

"She's not an invalid!"

"I know her capabilities. Emily always puts on a strong front but this _rumor—_ " Regulus hissed out the word like it was venom, his temper flaring for a moment before he swiftly reigned it in. "This rumor going around, it can break her. Just...just be there to support her, please. Just in case."

"You do care." Marlene stared at him with wide eyes. She had never heard Regulus plead, even for someone than him. He bowed his head, thanking her politely, before he left her standing in the middle of the empty stadium.

* * *

Regulus stabbed his steak with his fork, glaring at his plate of food. His foul mood increased, seeing that Emily wasn't at dinner. He didn't worry about his friend—she could protect herself, demonstrated by her near-impenetrable defenses that she always used during dueling—but he was mildly concerned.

"Oi, Black!"

Regulus threw a dark look at Rabastan Lestrange. Ever since Rabastan's older brother had married Regulus' cousin over the winter holidays, he had been seeing more and more of the younger Lestrange brother. Regulus wondered why he didn't bother Narcissa instead of him. Looking over at his cousin, he saw the glint of the silver ring on her slender finger. Then again, Rabastan wouldn't dare to incur the wrath of the Malfoy family. One word from Narcissa and Rabastan would be thrown out of the family. His grip tightened on his knife as Rabastan sat in the empty seat next to him.

"Black," Rabastan smiled, clapping his shoulder.

"Lestrange," Regulus greeted, setting down his knife for precautionary measures. It would cause a strain in their family relations if he suddenly stabbed Rabastan. Not to mention that it would be a mess and he liked to keep his clothes clean. Blood was often difficult to remove from clothes.

"I hear that your Mudblood fancies your brother! How are you coping?"

"Very well, considering that all those rumors are lies," Regulus replied.

"Really?" Rabastan's brows rose, hearing a new piece of gossip. "I heard that the information came from one of her friends. Although, considering how close you are to her...maybe you have a better insight, hmm? Or perhaps you're just saying that because you like her?"

"Don't be stupid." He scoffed, looking over at the seventh-year. "You know fully well that it would never happen."

"But you're not opposed to it?"

Regulus narrowed his eyes, reaffirming his position to the older boy. "Why would I want to marry someone like her?"

Rabastan looked unconvinced. "You two are awfully close—"

"Stop right there, Lestrange," Regulus warned him, his voice growing cold. Frost began to creep around the goblets of pumpkin juice as the two stared each other down. "Don't you dare group me with those sympathizing, blood-traitors like my brother. I am not like them."

"So, you don't mind if I have a little fun with her then," Rabastan smirked.

"Do whatever you want," Regulus shrugged, rising from his spot. He would let Emily put Rabastan in his place. His loss from Emily would hurt even more with her inferior blood status as well.

As Regulus was leaving the Great Hall, he realized that he hadn't seen Emily since lunchtime. He frowned, seeing that Emily wasn't at the Hufflepuff table, nor was she at the Gryffindor table. She was going to have some explaining to do.

* * *

Emily threw an arm to shield her eyes from the blinding light. She blinked furiously, trying to adjust to the bright light emitting from the shaking jar on her shelf. With their beds tucked onto a circular alcove, there was no room to place nightstands by the beds. Instead, they were given shelves to place their personal belongings.

"What does he want?" She muttered, reaching out and pulling her curtains around her alcove. Making sure that that it was securely closed, Emily opened the jar, spreading the black stars onto her blanket. They slowly curled up until they formed into a shape that looked distinctively like Regulus' face.

"What?" She asked, rubbing her eyes, not bothering to hide her huge yawn.

"You've been crying."

"No, I haven't!"

"Is that why you weren't at dinner?"

"What's with the sudden question?"

"I thought that I should be courteous and ask before I drag you out of bed and shove food down your throat because you missed dinner."

"It's one meal, Regulus," Emily yawned once more. She tugged at her messy bun, several strands pulled too tight. "I was tired. There's no need to worry, trust me."

"You can always talk to me, you know that, right?" Regulus asked her quietly, a pensive look crossing his face as he watched her re-tie her hair once more.

"I know," she replied, giving him a small smile. "It's just-I just hope this rumor dies down, like with Snape."

"You don't need to worry about the rumor," he reassured her. "You should focus on your OWLs instead."

"You too."

Emily frowned, the fog of sleep clearing from her mind. "Wait...what exactly do you mean by that? Regulus, what are you planning?"

"Good night, Emily."

"Wait, you can't just—" she gaped, seeing the stars sudden collapse into a dark pile on her blanket. She left out a huff, glaring at the pile as she muttered under her breath, "What the hell?"

With a sigh, she began scooping handfuls of the stars back into the jar. Unlike the one she has gifted to Regulus, the paper stars he had given her were all black. It was supposed to be a gag gift for his birthday during their third year when she learned that he was named after a star. She never expected Regulus to make his own version of the gag gift for her Christmas present. He had presented it to her the following year, after he had perfected the enchantments so that they could use their gifts to communicate with each other.

Emily gave a small smile, remembering how embarrassed Regulus was when he admitted that he modeled it after the telephone and that he made all of the stars by hands. He claimed that their gifts were equal as well. The fond memories swiftly disappeared when her stomach let out a loud growl. Emily placed the jar back on the shelf next to her and grabbed the discarded jumper at the end of her bed. Peeking out from her curtains, she saw that her fellow dorm mates were still sleeping.

She smiled, hearing the soft snores from Adeline as she crept to the door. It was time for a late-night snack. She walked out to the Common Room. Against the dying fires, Emily searched for the right door. Seventh to the right—

The door creaked open, granting her passage to the kitchens.


	3. Chapter 3

**Lifetime of Friendships**

Chapter 3

* * *

Regulus paused in the middle of the entrance of the Slytherin Common Room, blinking at the sight of his fellow housemate still sitting on the leather couch. The dark hair fell over his face like greasy curtains as he read the book in his lap. Regulus wondered if he had even moved from the spot from the previous night.

"Severus."

He looked over the top of his book to see Regulus Black standing in front of him. Severus placed the book down to greet Regulus, hands folded over his lap. "Hello Regulus. Already back from breakfast?"

"Yes and I would recommend for you to get some before the others awaken if you want to continue to claim this spot," Regulus replied, glancing at the notes lying on the table in front of him.

Severus waved his hand. "The others know better than to take this spot."

Regulus nodded while casting a glance around the empty common room, making sure that there were no eavesdroppers. His eyes lingered at the doorways to the dormitories, waiting for a few moments. Satisfied, he turned to face Severus again, his voice lowered to a quiet whisper. "Do you still have any more vials of Veritaserum?"

Severus pulled out a small vial of clear liquid from the sleeves of his robes. Regulus' brows rose at how easy Severus held out the potion to him.

"What do I get in return?" Severus asked, just letting the vial touch Regulus' palm.

"Something worthwhile that can't be paid in gold," Regulus promised, noticing that Severus hadn't released his hold on the vial. He held his breath, keeping his gaze on Severus and hoping that his word would be enough.

"Use it well."

The vial dropped into his hand. Regulus nodded in thanks to Severus, making his way to the dormitory to grab his bag. He waited until Severus was out of sight before his fingers curled around the vial, tucking it in into his sleeve. Hopefully, he would be able to find the next person on his list.

Entering the library, Regulus made his way to the studying area, which was nearly empty, save for a couple of seventh-years buried in their notes and piles of books. Nothing but the sound of scribbling quills filled the air. He took an empty spot in the corner, placing his bag on the table to deter others from joining him. If he was going to wait, he might as well be productive.

He had finished going over his Potion notes and barely started skimming over Astronomy when a crowd of voices came floating into the library. He looked up to see a study group entering. One sharp look from the librarian, Madam Pince, had the loud voices dropped to hushed whispers.

It wasn't hard to spot Lily Evans among the straggle of fifth-years. With her bright hair, she stood out among the others. Regulus wondered if it was often a good thing to stand out from their peers. He glanced down to the notes in his hands, eyes flickering to the study group settling across the room before settling on his notes again. OWLs were more important and he would deal with the matter later.

Regulus tossed his notes on top of the Potions one, finished with his review. He closed the book shut, fingers rubbing his temples in circular motions. There was only one more week of OWLs examination and all of his tedious studying would be all over. Comforted at the thought, he glanced over at the stacks of notes for him to review. It only took him a second to decide that he was due for a long break from studying. He glanced over to the large group for a moment before he began tucking his notes and textbooks in his bag.

"Evans, may I have a word?"

Lily looked up to see Regulus Black standing there, looking calm and collected as ever, despite the fact that everyone was looking at him with surprise and suspicion. Her face must've had the same expression as the others as he spoke again. "Emily mentioned that you needed a shift change?"

"Oh!"

Lily quickly pulled away from the group, leading Regulus away. She turned to him with a bright look. "Do you think you'll be able to switch last minute for tonight's shift? I really need to study with Mary and that's the only time I can study with her."

"It can be arranged," Regulus told her with a nod. "If…you answer this question for me."

"What is it?" Lily asked, her eyes narrowing as she took a step back.

"Did you share Emily's secret with anyone?"

"How can you even say such a thing?" Lily asked him, careful not to raise her voice. She casted a glance over at Madam Pince before turning her attention back to Regulus. "I would never do something like that to Emily. She's my friend!"

"And you never told a soul?"

"Of course not!"

"Would you be willing to take Veritaserum and answer again?" He asked.

"I would!" Lily answered him, chin held high. Her eyes widen seeing Regulus pulled out a vial full of clear liquid from his sleeves. She recognized the potion immediately, glaring at the Slytherin Prefect in front of her. He tricked her!

"Come now, Evans," Regulus told her, shaking the vial in front of her. "Don't tell me that you're backing out now. Whatever happened to the courage that Gryffindors always boast of?"

Lily narrowed her eyes at him, swiping the vial from his hands. She uncorked it and drank all of the contents in a single gulp. It was reckless of her and she knew it, but she wasn't going to let someone like him go around with a vial of Veritaserum. A vial of Veritaserum could be dangerous. Even a single drop in a drink could be disastrous. Wiping the dribble with the back of her hand, Lily handed the empty vial back to Regulus. He raised his brows at her action, tucking the vial away.

"Now, do you still care about Severus?"

"Yes," She answered. Her eyes widen in horror before she threw a sharp glare at Regulus.

"Just checking if the potion was taking effect or not," Regulus told her calmly. He glanced over to see that luckily, Madame Pince wasn't looking in their direction.

"Now, did you share Emily's secret with anyone?"

"No."

"Did you tell anyone about Emily's crush?"

"No."

"I see," He replied, satisfied with her answers. He turned away with a simple nod. "Well then, Evans—"

"Are you really going to subject me to this potion until the effects wear off?" Lily hissed at him, grabbing his wrist.

Regulus' upper lip curled, glancing down the physical contact between them. He shrugged her hand off him, brushing sleeve where she had touched.

"Well, I do have the antidote here," he sighed, pulling out a vial of pure-black liquid. He was quick to pull it far from Lily's reach as she immediately tried to grab it. He raised his brow at her. "How badly do you want it, Evans?"

"Give it to me!" She growled, trying to swipe it from his hand.

"Of course I shall," Regulus told her. "But you have to do something for me in exchange."

Lily fought the urge to hex him right then and there.

* * *

"How do you sleep at night?" Lily hissed, thrusting the roll of parchment into Regulus' awaiting hand with more force than necessary.

"Pretty well on my silk sheets," Regulus replied, tucking the letter into his robes. "Now that our patrol shifts are exchanged, I have a favor to ask of you."

"That is not—"

"A request, then," Regulus told her impatiently, cutting her off. "All I ask, Evans, is for you to look out for Emily. Words hurt her easier than most and this rumor going around about her is going to break her if we're not careful."

"I—"

"I knew it!"

The two turned to see James rudely pointing at Regulus. "You're up to something, aren't you?"

"Leave him alone, Potter," Lily told him, lowering her voice as Madam Pince glanced in their direction. "He was just switching our patrol shifts as a favor to Emily. Do you know where she is?"

"Lee?" James gave Lily a smirk, jerking his head to Sirius who was sitting with Peter. It was clear by Peter's anxious look that Sirius was helping him with his studies. "Why don't you ask Padfoot? After all, she's obsessed with him so she wouldn't be too far behind. In fact, maybe if you hang around us you'll find—"

Regulus let out a scoff, capturing James' attention. "You don't actually believe those rumors, do you, Potter? Or are you truly that gullible?"

"Funny you say that, Black." James narrowed his eyes at the Slytherin Prefect.

Regulus returned James' glare with one of his own, refusing to be intimidated by him.

"I heard that you said that you didn't care about Lee at all and that you two aren't even friends as you don't associate with the likes of her. Or are those rumors as well?" James asked, stepping forward. "In fact, I've heard that it came from a source very close to you."

"Funny, I don't recall ever saying those words." Regulus folded his arms, mirroring James as he matched his step forward, the two staring each other down. "And I don't appreciate anyone spreading anymore rumors about Emily either."

"Is that supposed to be a threat?" James asked, his lips curling into a smile. Surely Sirius' twin could do better than that, living up to his name as the golden child.

"Actually, I'll leave that to Evans instead. After all, you said so yourself: I'm not Emily's friend," Regulus replied with his own smirk, satisfied at how quickly James' smug expression fell. He gave Lily a nod, leaving her to deal with James. He hoisted his bag over his shoulders, making his way out of the library when Emily came rushing in, nearly barreling into him with her arms full of textbooks. With a simple step to the side, he avoided Emily, who gasped at the sight of him. She stumbled over her own feet and fell face-first into the ground.

"Hello Emily," he greeted, watching her picking up the scattered books around her.

"Hi," She smiled, placing her books on the nearest table before turning around to face him. "Are you here to study as well? Do you want to join my study group with Marlene? We're going over History of Magic and then Astronomy today."

"I've just finished studying for the moment," He informed her, earning a pout.

"Why didn't you tell me earlier so we could study together?" Emily asked, letting out a loud sigh, folding her arms. She ducked, trying her best to hide behind Regulus as she caught sight of Madame Pince looking at her.

"Because you would constantly badger me with questions instead of looking up the answers yourself," Regulus replied with a knowing look. "Which isn't a productive studying method."

"But it's so much easier since you practically know everything and it keeps you on your toes!" Emily smiled widely up at him. Seeing his unimpressed expression, she sighed once more. "You're right."

"I always am."

Emily rolled her eyes at him. "Are you coming to watch Isaac's duel tonight? Reynolds is challenging him for the Captain's spot. You know, the seventh-year Ravenclaw with long hair?"

"The lead chaser, I know. No doubt that Isaac will win."

Regulus raised his brow, seeing Emily's expression. "You don't think so?"

"I dunno." Emily pursed her lips. "Reynolds is a strong dueler. He doesn't have Isaac's speed, but he does have power and that can overwhelm Isaac if he's not careful."

"You know, if you put in the same amount of work in your studies as you do with duels, you would be one of the top students too." He quickly stepped out of her reach, avoiding the slap on the shoulder. He gave her a smug smile in return.

"You still haven't answered my question," Emily pointed out. "Are you coming or not?"

"We shall see," Regulus told her. "I might be busy."

"Oh."

"But there is a slight chance that I'll come," He offered quickly, seeing her forlorn expression.

The two shared a quick smile between them before they caught sight of Marlene waving furiously in their direction. Emily gave Regulus an amused look before she gathered her books, heading over to the large table that Marlene and a few other classmates were sitting at. She waved at Regulus, who gave her a simple nod before he headed back to the Common Room, ready to take a long break. As he passed through the Common Room entrance, he wasn't surprised to see Severus in the same spot, surrounded by textbooks to dissuade others from taking any of the empty spots beside him.

"Severus," Regulus greeted, pulling out the parchment from his sleeve. Severus didn't even look up from his book, simply nodding in acknowledgment. Raising his brows at the other boy's greeting, Regulus placed the letter on stack of books next to Severus before heading back to his dormitory. Severus waited until Regulus was out of sight before he placed the book on lap, turning to the letter beside him. His lip curled at the sight of Regulus' payment for a vial of his Veritaserum. He was tempted to throw the letter into the fire, but curiosity got the better of him and he broke the seal to reveal a letter addressed to him, written in a too-familiar handwriting.

* * *

"You're early."

"You seem surprised," Regulus replied, closing the door behind him quietly, heading straight to the pile of soft cushions. He made himself comfortable, stretching his legs out in front of him. "Not happy to see me?"

"No, I—" Isaac gave Regulus a glare, irritated that the younger boy was able to catch him off-guard. He let out a huff, composing himself. "Usually, you don't come early unless you're accompanying Emily and since she isn't here, I was simply curious."

A smirk played on Regulus' lips, proud that he managed to fluster Isaac. Tossing his hair over his shoulder, Regulus explained, "I had just informed Slughorn about switching shifts and was close by."

"You switched patrols? With whom?" Isaac frowned, arms folding over his chest. As Head Boy, he should've been notified immediately so that he could get approval from their Head of the House. There was no one from Slytherin that was patrolling tonight, he was sure of it. Already he was preparing for the inevitable damage he would have to fix for his prefect not following the proper rules.

"The mudblood from Gryffindor who Emily always hangs out with. There's no need to worry, I followed all of the regulations exactly. Slughorn was more than willing to approve, since she's part of the Slug-club and McGongall didn't mind as long as it didn't cause any trouble with the other fellow prefects."

"It's interesting how you always call other Muggle-borns by that slur except Emily," Isaac commented, stuffing his wand in his sleeve. "Are the rumors true?"

"You're the second person to ask me that today," Regulus smirked, tossing his robe behind him. "I never knew that so many found me interesting."

"But are they true?"

"Why do you care?"

"Because, if this is all just a ploy to hurt her, I'll—"

"You'll hurt me?" Regulus asked, raising a brow. "I'm surprised that you would go out of your way for someone like them, Westwick. They are beneath us."

"So if someone would attack Emily—"

Regulus let out a snort. "I pity the fool that does. She doesn't need any help or want any. Trust me, if you were to come to her aid, you'd receive a hex in return, along with a long lecture."

"But you do care for her?" Isaac's brows furrowed, trying to understand the contradictory friendship between Regulus and Emily.

"As much as I care for all of my friends," Regulus answered. His eyes narrowed at Isaac. "What's with all the questions, Westwick? A sudden curiosity about my friendship with Emily? Tell me, did it have to do with any of the rumors about her?"

Isaac raised a brow at Regulus as he asked again, "Is there any truth to those rumors?"

"Do you believe them?" Regulus asked him.

"Do you?"

He let out a scoff, leaning back on the cushions. "Emily and I have no secrets between us."

"So she knows of your dislikes of Muggle-borns?"

"Yes."

"And she doesn't care?"

Regulus shrugged, twirling his wand in his hands. "You know, Westwick, we don't talk about blood purity all that much. That conversation doesn't come up often."

"What does a pure-blood and muggle-born talk about then?" Isaac asked him.

"Well," Regulus looked from his wand to Isaac, a sly smile crossing his face. "We were talking about you today. She thinks you're going to lose against Reynolds. She says that with his constant barrage of attacks, it will overwhelm you."

"But I move quicker than him."

"He can limit your movements, not to mention that he compensates his speed with powerful spells."

Isaac frowned at Regulus, eyes narrowing at the younger Slytherin. He turned away, recalling Reynolds' last duel. The Ravenclaw had casted an illusion spell, causing his opponent to think that she was immobilized. Many of his spells affected the mind, Isaac realized. He couldn't use the Shield Charm, as it only blocked physical attacks. He pursed his lips in a thin line, pacing across the room.

"Hey Isaac—Regulus!" Emily had poked her head in but at the sight of her best friend, she couldn't help but greet him with a bright smile. She ran over to his side, throwing an arm around his shoulders. "I thought you said you wouldn't be able to make it!"

"I traded my shift with Evans. I'll be patrolling with you after the duel instead of her."

"Oh really?" She asked, her brows raised. Blinking twice, she told him, "Well, that was thoughtful of you."

"Yes, I know," Regulus drawled, closing his eyes.

Emily laughed as she shifted into a more comfortable position next to him. She rested her head on his shoulder, watching Isaac pace back and forth, muttering quietly to himself.

"Is he planning his strategy against Reynolds?" She whispered, watching as Isaac paused in mid-stride before shaking his head and resuming his pacing again.

"Yes."

Emily lifted her head, looking over at Regulus. She noted the crooked tie, the messy ponytail, and the wrinkled sweater with a frown. Poking his stomach, she told him, "You shouldn't be wearing yourself out."

He make a disgruntled noise, pushing her hand away from him. "Worry about yourself first, Emily. I can already see dark circles forming."

"I don't have dark circles!" She yelped, her hands quickly diving into her pockets. Pulling out a compact mirror, Emily prodded the skin underneath her eyes before throwing a glare at her best friend. She smacked his shoulder. "Don't be so mean."

"Ah, but I'm a Slytherin, Emily," he reminded her, opening one eye. "It's in my nature to be mean."

"That's not true!" She told him, pushing herself upright. Her brows furrowed together as she threw a fierce look at her best friend. "Your house qualities are cunning, resourcefulness, and ambition! There is nothing about it that says that Slytherins are mean."

"Don't you hear what the school says?"

"Who cares what the entire school says?" Emily shot back at him. "Their opinion doesn't matter because you aren't who they say you are! You're one of the kindest person I know, Regulus. You're my best friend and I won't let you depreciate yourself like this."

"How is it that you can say all of these pretty things to me but not to you?" Regulus asked her, turning his head so that he was facing her. "Shouldn't you appreciate yourself as well? Someone that's kind and loyal and fearsome?"

He rose from his spot as the door opened, other members of the club pouring inside the practice room. Emily could only stare blankly at the floor as Ethan took the empty spot next to her, talking to Marlene excitedly as they debated on who would win the duel. Marlene argued that Isaac would defend his title with his technical abilities while Ethan pointed out that Reynolds was a skilled dueler as well, often using unconventional tactics.

"You alright?"

Blinking, Emily turned to see both Ethan and Marlene looking over at her. She nodded, giving them a reassuring smile.

"To be honest, I'm feeling better," she told them, her voice low. "Got some sense knocked into me."

"I hope not literally," Ethan frowned. He chuckled as his twin slapped his arm. "Always with the violence, Emily. I'm glad to see that you're better. Black's a good friend to you."

"I know," she replied with a smug smile. She had known the moment Regulus visited her in the Hospital Wing unannounced, despite the fact that she had Black Cat Flu. While the others stayed away in fear of catching the disease, he was the only one who came to visit her, often bringing her the missed homework to help her catch up on the schoolwork. When she spotted Regulus frowning at her across the room, she simply waved at him, flashing him a bright smile. "He's my best friend."

* * *

A/N: I think Lily still cares about Severus because they were friends for 7 years (maybe more?) and it's hard to get over that they're not friends anymore. Friendship break-up, you know.


	4. Chapter 4

**Lifetime of Friendships**

Chapter 4

* * *

Adeline stifled a yawn behind her hand, careful not to trip on the steps to the Owlery, a letter in her hand. Bright-jeweled eyes greeted her as she stepped into the circular room. There was a screech before her barn owl flew down from her perch.

"Hello Diana," Adeline greeted, stroking the top of the owl's head. "Please give this to Mum and my love, okay?"

Her barn owl nibbled at her finger, taking off through the open window. Adeline watched her owl become smaller and smaller until Diana was gone. Her hands clasped tightly together, knowing that she couldn't hide in the tower forever. She shouldn't have said anything. She shouldn't have told Mary. She should've known that there were eavesdroppers in the library but she never expected that Bertha Jorkins would be listening. Even though the seventh-year was studying for NEWTs, she always had an ear open for any new gossip.

Adeline curled her hands into fists, thinking about what she had promised to herself the previous day. "Today, I will tell Emily everything and apologize," she spoke out loud with an affirmative nod. She wanted to tell Emily the night before, when they were studying, but was fearful of what Emily's reaction would be. But Emily was her friend, Adeline told herself, smoothing down the front of her robes. She deserved to hear the truth. Taking a deep breath, Adeline opened the door of the Owlery. She walked down the stairs with a sense of purpose, hoping to catch Emily before breakfast.

"Lewis."

Adeline jumped, startled to see Regulus Black standing in front of her with an envelope in hand. Letting out a sigh of relief, she smiled at him.

"Regulus, you startled me," she said, tucking a stray lock of hair behind her ear. "I didn't think that anyone would be up here so early in the morning."

"Yet you are."

"I-I couldn't sleep," Adeline explained.

"Ah." Regulus nodded, taking a step toward her. "I've wanting to speak to you, Lewis."

"Really?" Butterflies fluttered inside of her, seeing Regulus nod.

"Yes. I had talked to McKinnon and Evans over the weekend, you see. They swore—well, McKinnon did, Evans voluntarily took Veritaserum—that they didn't spill Emily's secret. And Emily, well, she only told three people her little secret, which leaves you as the prime suspect, Lewis."

The bubble of hope inside of her burst, leaving a cold feeling that began to spread throughout her body. This wasn't what she had expected. She took a step back. Regulus followed, taking another step forward. He continued until he had her cornered. Adeline felt the knot in her chest tighten with every breath she took. She opened her mouth but she was unable to form words.

"Y-You-You don't understand," she told him. "It-It was an accident, I swear! It just spilled out and-and I was planning on telling Emily last night but-but then I got scared and I—"

"It's been nearly a week and you haven't said anything," said Regulus, his voice sharp and unfriendly. "For nearly a week, you let Emily drown in hurt and betrayal. She considers you as her _best friend_ and in return, you revealed a secret she gave to you in confidentiality to the entire school."

"No, that's not true!"

"Not true? What wasn't true? That you never revealed Emily's secret to another or that Emily entrusted you about her secret?"

Adeline bowed her head, arms wrapped around her. She couldn't bear to look at Regulus. Hearing him scoff, she flinched, her shaking hands grabbing fistfuls of her robe.

"I-I never meant to—I was going to—" Her vision was spinning. She closed her eyes shut, shaking her head. It was becoming harder and harder for her to breathe.

"Some friend you are."

Adeline looked up, eyes wide. Seeing his cold expression, she ran, shame and guilt on her heels.

* * *

Fifth-year students poured out into the corridor, finished with their Ancient Runes OWL exam. Their loud chatter filled the long corridor, many of them electing to spend their time outdoors until dinner. Emily, exiting the classroom, looked out at the sunlit grounds. She looked around, spotting Regulus waiting for her patiently.

"Slow as ever," he commented, earning a shove from her.

"Are you heading to the Library?" Emily asked him, adjusting the bag on her shoulder. "I mean, it is a nice day..."

"And there will be plenty more to come after the exams," Regulus told her. "I am going to study and you're more than welcome to join me—"

"Does that mean that you'll answer any questions I have?"

"Only the ones that you can't find in the textbooks and pertaining to History of Magic." Seeing her petulant expression, Regulus raised a brow at her. "What's with that look? There aren't many career choices that require a History of Magic NEWT."

"Yes, but I'd like to keep my options open." Emily let out a sigh, staring at the ground. "To tell you the truth, when I had my Career Advice with Professor Sprout, I didn't know what I wanted to do."

"What did you say?"

"I just said the first thing that came to mind and it was an auror."

"Being in the Dueling Club won't hurt your chances either if you decided to go on that path."

They walked around a group of Ravenclaws, who were standing right in the middle of the corridor, unaware that they were blocking the way. Emily couldn't help but overhear their loud conversation as she walked by.

"He had Westwick cornered with the Barrier Charm, unable to move—"

"Yes, but Westwick took him by surprise!"

"To be fair, I wouldn't have expected that at all either—"

"It's been almost a week and people are still talking about Westwick's duel," Regulus muttered as they turned the corner.

"I'm not complaining," Emily said. "Besides, you can't fault them since it was an interesting duel. I've never seen a Conjuring spell used like that before. It was rather impressive."

"He threw a Quaffle at Reynolds. How is that impressive?"

"And it was unexpected attack to break Reynolds' concentration," Emily pointed out. "That's why everyone's still talking about it. It's not like you've seen a spell used like that before."

"I still don't see why everyone's talking about it."

"At least they're not talking about me," Emily shrugged. "I had enough of that."

"You're doing fine?"

"You're the third person to ask me that today. Ethan just asked me earlier before we took the practical exam. Lily and Marlene both have been concerned about my well-being too, more than usual."

"Is that right?" Regulus asked, raising a brow at her.

Emily nodded. "You know, Marlene had something to say about you as well."

"And? What did McKinnon say about me? Something rude, I suppose."

"She said that you came to talk to her last week," Emily said, skipping ahead to peek around the corners, trying to see if anyone else was heading to the library. Finding that the corridors were empty, she continued walking forward, hoping that their usual spot in the library wasn't taken. She turned around, facing Regulus before continuing, "The funny thing about that was that Lily also said the same thing too."

"What do you want me to say?" He asked her, his expression unreadable. "Do you want me to lie to you, to tell you that I had done no such thing?"

"Regulus-"

"I assume that you already know the reason why I did it?"

"Yes, but I don't need you to confront them because there was a rumor about me," She said. "They're my friends, Regulus. I trust them and so should you."

"Friends aren't supposed to reveal secrets to the entire school," Regulus pointed out.

Emily pressed her lips together for a moment. "Everyone makes mistakes, Regulus. Just-just promise me that you won't confront my friends anymore. Please."

Regulus thought back to his conversation with Adeline earlier that day. He blinked, looking straight at Emily as he said, "I promise."

She flashed him a bright smile as they entered the library. "Great!"

* * *

All the fifth-years were looking forward to the Hogsmeade trip. Emily was looking forward to spend some time with Adeline. She hadn't had time to talk to Adeline since the night that she was helping Adeline study for her Muggle-Studies OWL exam.

"Adeline!" Emily shouted, spotting her with Lily and Marlene. She smiled and waved at them, but didn't expect their cold response, turning away without a single acknowledgment. Emily could only watch as they left the courtyard without her.

"What are you doing here alone?" Ethan asked, standing next to her. He looked at the near empty courtyard before turning back to his twin. "Emily?"

"N-Nothing," she told him with a shake of her head. She gave him a small smile. "I don't think I'm going to Hogsmeade today, Ethan."

"What? Why not?" Ethan knew that Emily would never miss an opportunity to visit Hogsmeade. She had been talking about it all week. He threw out an arm, wrapping around her shoulders as he dragged her along. He held onto her tightly, leading the way. "If you have no one to hang out with, you can just hang out with your dear twin!"

Emily looked away before she nodded in agreement. "Okay."

Their first stop was Honeydukes. Emily was put to use, holding armfuls of Chocolate Frogs, Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans, Droobles' Best Blowing Gum, and Sugar Quills. She wrinkled her nose, the tip of the sugar quill brushing against her face. Ethan, on the other hand, was looking thoughtfully at the sweets in front of him.

"Are you also looking to purchase the shop too?" She asked as Ethan placed a handful of toffees in her hands.

"I need enough to last me through the holidays," Ethan told her. He eyes the pile of sweets she held in her arms. "I think I might need some Chocoballs too. Come on."

"And just exactly how are you going carry these back to the castle?" Emily asked as they left the shop, arms full of sweets.

Ethan gave her an innocent smile. "Emily, you know that you're my favorite sister, right?"

"I'm your only sister, idiot."

"And I'm your only brother. So won't you be kind and help me out here?" Ethan asked. Without waiting for her answer, he handed her his pile of sweets.

"Ethan!"

"Shut up," he hissed, glancing around. Seeing that no one was watching, Ethan grabbed the package of Chocoballs and stuffed them into his pockets of his robes. He continued adding more of the packaged sweets, glancing around carefully before stuffing the sweets into the pockets until there was none left. Seeing Emily's awestruck look, he gave her a cheeky wink.

"How did you do that?" She demanded, glancing at his pockets that looked simply ordinary from her view.

"Undetectable Extension Charm."

"Isn't it illegal to use that spell?"

"Only if you get caught. Shall we head to the Three Broomsticks? I'll even buy you a Butterbeer."

She gave him a flat look. It would take more than one butterbeer from him to buy her silence. "Two."

"One."

"Only if you'll split half of your sweets with me."

Ethan huffed, folding his arms. He glared at Emily, who simply sweetly smiled back at him. "I hate you. Fine, I'll buy you two Butterbeers, but you can't tell Mum about the sweets."

"Deal." She linked arms with him, leading the way. "Let's go!"

Three Broomsticks was packed with Hogwarts students. The chatter inside the pub was so loud that Emily could barely hear her brother telling her to find a spot for them to sit while he fetched the drinks for them. She spotted a small table by the corner, empty. She quickly sat down, setting her cloak on the empty chair next to her. As she looked around the pub, her mind wandered to her friends. It wasn't like them to ignore her like that. Sure, she hadn't been talking much to them during the week, but she had been studying for the OWLs examinations, just like everyone else. Emily lowered her gaze, staring at the table when Ethan set down a drink in front of her.

"Thanks."

"What's with the face?" He asked. "Did something happen to you?"

"I dunno," Emily told him.

"I'd thought you'd be with Adeline and the others today. You've been talking about this trip for the whole week," Ethan frowned, taking a sip of his drink. He leaned back in his chair, arms folded over his chest.

"I was, but..."

"But?"

"I dunno. They just ignored me."

"What did you do?"

"That's the thing, I don't know!"

"Well," Ethan sighed, looking around the pub. "Have you asked them?"

"No. I haven't had the chance to," Emily said, looking down at her drink in her hands.

"Well, here's your chance."

Emily looked up to see Adeline, Lily, and Marlene making their way past their table, too busy in a conversation. With a bit of urging from Ethan, Emily called out to them. Unfortunately, her voice was drowned out by the loud conversations around them.

"Go talk to them," Ethan told her, giving her a good shove. "Don't run from your problems, Emily."

Nodding, she followed her friends, calling out their names. She hesitated for a moment, seeing them exit the pub. Glancing over her shoulder, she saw Ethan give her an encouraging nod, motioning for her to follow them. Emily pushed through the doors, calling out to them.

"Wait!"

All three whirled around. To her surprise, Adeline took a step back, trying to hide behind Lily and Marlene.

"What are you doing here?" Adeline asked, her eyes wide. "Are you here to yell at me too?"

"What—no, of course not! What-What's going on? I don't understand why you've been avoiding me the past few days. Did I do something wrong?"

"Surely you're not that thick, Emily. You honestly don't know what your _best friend_ did? To me, to all of us?"

"My best friend—Regulus? He just gave you lot a talk, didn't he?" Emily glanced from Marlene to Adeline to Lily, hoping that it was the truth. "Didn't he?"

"Is that what he told you?" Lily asked, her eyes narrowed. "Because he gave me an entire vial of Veritaserum to make sure that I was telling the truth."

Emily turned to Marlene with wide eyes, hearing the truth. "Marlene?"

"He manipulated me into answering his question of whether or not I was the one to reveal your secret."

"But I-I never asked him to, you have to believe me. When I heard that he was talking to you two, I told him to stop."

"Did you?" Adeline asked. "Because he came to talk to me too, Emily, days after Lily and Marlene. Do you know how cold and cruel his words were? They hurt so much, Emily."

"I told him, I swear!" Emily looked over at them, hoping that they would believe her. She watched helplessly as her friends turned, walking away from her once more. Pressing her lips together, Emily turned around, heading back inside Three Broomsticks.

"So, how'd it go?" Ethan asked, meeting her by the entrance. His smile faltered, seeing her expression.

"Terrible."

"Oh. W-Well, it's getting late. Let's head back to castle. I'll make up the second drink to you, I promise."

Emily nodded. She waited by the front while Ethan squeezed through the crowd to grab her cloak. She thanked him quietly as they made their way back to the school. As he placed his arm around her, she broke down, tears falling down her cheeks.

"They hate me, Ethan," Emily choked out, using her sleeve to wipe her tears as she told him of her conversation with her friends. "They didn't even want to listen to me at all."

"It's all a big misunderstanding," he told her, rubbing her shoulders.

"How can I explain myself to them when they won't even talk to me?" she asked.

"Give then a few days, they'll come around," Ethan said. He dug into his pocket before opening a small parcel. He shook them in front of her. "Chocoball? Come on, Emily, I know they're your favorite."

"One," she told him, wiping her eyes. Seeing Ethan's unconvinced look, she let out a small chuckle. "I'm only going to take one, I promise!"

Emily took a bite and immediately spat it out. She beat her chest, coughing from the fiery sensation inside her mouth. Ethan was laughing beside her, seeing Emily continue to cough, expelling small spurts of bright fire. Glancing at the chocoball, Emily recognized the Firebreath filling.

"You arsehole!" She shouted, throwing the half-eaten sweet at her twin. "I can't believe you did that!"

Ethan ducked, the sweet flying above his head. "Violence is not the answer, Emily!"

* * *

"It's not like you to skip dinner," Regulus commented as they walked down the corridor, finished with their weekly Dueling Club meeting.

"I wasn't hungry," Emily said. "I ate a lot at Hogsmeade."

"You're a terrible liar."

"And you're an excellent one," she replied, meeting his gaze. She let out a sigh. "I told you to leave my friends alone, Regulus. You promised me that you would."

"And I have."

"Adeline—"

"I talked to Lewis before I made the promise," Regulus told her. "So I haven't broken it at all."

Emily looked at him with wide eyes. "And you didn't think that that was important detail to tell me? She's my _friend_."

"You consider her as your friend? Emily, she told the entire school your secret!"

"Adeline told—no, she couldn't. She wouldn't do something like that."

"That's not what she told me."

"And how did you get it out of her?" Emily asked. "Did you also use a vial of Veratiserum with her as well?"

He scoffed, folding his arms. "Evans took that potion voluntarily. I didn't force her to take it."

"You gave my friend a vial of Veritaserum, Regulus!"

"I gave her the antidote immediately after. There was no harm."

She saw red. Her nails dug into her palms, her fists trembling. "That's not the point, Regulus. You did that to my _friend,_ knowing how dangerous that could've been _._ "

"What isn't right is your friend—"

"I don't need you to fight my battles! I've never asked you do so!" Her shout echoed across the empty corridor. "They're my friends. Yes, Adeline may have told the school my secret, Regulus, but everyone makes mistakes. I know her and she wouldn't do something so malicious as that, especially to a friend like me. But you know what? She won't talk to me anymore because of you!" Her voice broke at the end. She didn't know if Adeline even considered her as a friend anymore.

Regulus looked away, unable to watch Emily furiously wipe her tears with her sleeve. "I just...I just didn't want you to get hurt."

The knot in her chest tightened as she swallowed the dry lump in her throat.

"It's past curfew for fifth-years and above." Lily Evans appeared around the corner. "Please return to your respective dormitories, please."

Emily lowered her eyes, walking away. Regulus had half a mind to chase after but turned away, heading back to the Slytherin Common Room. Neither of the two looked back, both walking away with their heads bowed.

Lily watched the two leave. She let out a sigh, running a hand through her hair. "Oh, what have I done?"


End file.
